A night on the Bothnian Sea: The Kylmäpihlaja Lighthouse

Wild, rugged beauty is not in short supply in Finland. In fact, you’d be hard pressed not to find it. Such is the case along the west coast near Rauma, where the Kylmäpihlaja lighthouse stands on a small, picturesque island on the open sea surrounded by crashing waves and angry birds.

Like most things in Finland, the lighthouse isn’t particularly old. It was built in 1952 and originally housed 12 men who guided ships through the archipelago to port in Rauma. Technology has made that job obsolete, but the beacon remains and it serves as a small hotel and restaurant, a great place to enjoy fresh whitefish and magnificent sea views.

The island is relatively young as well; it had risen from the ocean only about 800 years ago as a part of post-glacial rebound, a process that still sees Finland’s landscape rise around 6 mm per year.

A July evening on the rocky island was cool and breezy to put it lightly, but the warmth of a fire and new friends, paired with the scent of smoked salmon and salty air, made it feel like the perfect Nordic summer night. It was like everything you needed in the world at that moment was right there.

Though the not-quite-Midnight Sun would only reach 11:30pm in this part of the country, the sunset across the Bothnian Sea was no less stunning. After a long night began to wind down with a cup of tea, we were lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves and the simple joy of an uncompromising Finnish summer.



www.kylmapihlaja.com

www.visitfinland.com



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